The History of Schafkopf
Schafkopf is first mentioned in 1782 in Saxony; the first game clearly from Bavaria is recorded for 1849.
First records
Schafkopf is first mentioned in 1782 in a Saxon catalogue of penalties. For Bavaria it is recorded in 1837 in Johann Andreas Schmeller's Bavarian dictionary, and the first game that is clearly Bavarian is documented for 1849 in Gräfenberg.
The name
Where the name comes from is not known. The story that it comes from chalk lines drawn to form a sheep's head has no proof, and the idea that it comes from a barrel ("Schaff") is considered disproved by experts.
Schafkopf today
Common rules were set down in 1989 by the Bavarian Schafkopf Association; in 2007 the Schafkopfschule published a revised version. PaperGames plays the long game with 32 cards, Sauspiel, Wenz and Solo, scores in points only, and leaves out further variants such as Ramsch.